


Love at Second Sight

by nargles_exist



Series: Savage Garden Series [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fantasy AU, Kuroo is also there, M/M, Multi, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Storytime with Kuroo, Suspend Your Disbelief please, Witch!Akaashi, Witch!Kenma, ambiguous time period, awkward teenagers, blacksmith!Bokuto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-10-01 17:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20356933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nargles_exist/pseuds/nargles_exist
Summary: Bokuto is determined to date Akaashi, but his other boyfriend Kenma is not so happy with the addition of a new person. Fortunately, his other boyfriend Kuroo is happy to make friends with Akaashi, and Kuroo tells the story of how he wooed Kenma. Partly to give him advice for his own wooing, and partly just because he likes to talk about Kenma.





	Love at Second Sight

**Author's Note:**

> This is a companion piece to my Tsukkiyama fic 'When the Moon Kissed the Mountain'. It is part of the same AU, but it takes place a few years earlier. By the time WtMKtM happens, Bokuakakuroken is established, so don't worry. (I may have mentioned that I have several thoughts about this universe...) I am sort of working on the sequel to WtMKtM, but I heard it was Kuroken week recently, so I switched focus and spit this out. I missed Kuroken week, but have this anyway!

Tetsurou watched Akaashi's hands move, the slim fingers nimbly weaving threads with graceful, practiced motion. Textiles weren't his expertise, and he had no idea what Akaashi was making, but it looked complicated and lovely. Sort of like Akaashi himself. 

He had actually come to town for some supplies, but he never made the journey to town without visiting Koutarou. And Kou was in the middle of something at the forge, so Tetsu found himself sitting with Akaashi while he waited. It was… interesting. Akaashi had only recently entered their lives, and Tetsu didn't know him well. Kou seemed determined to keep him, though, so Tetsu figured he'd make an effort. 

"Hey, Akaashi, you're a witch, right?" he asked.

Akaashi's eyes flicked to him for just a second before returning to his weaving. "That is correct."

"Do you see, like, visions or something?"

"Er, no."

"Oh," said Tetsu, pressing down his perpetually wild hair. "But I was there when you met Kou, and you said that you were meant to be with him."

"Ah." Akaashi blushed and looked extremely flustered. "I, er, perhaps misspoke. I don't see the future, but I see, er, potential. He and I have a lot of potential. It doesn't mean it's for sure," he added softly. 

"Awww, 'kaashi," cooed Tetsu. "You've already won Kou over, and I'm sure Kenma will come around to it."

"Well, I must admit," said Akaashi, pausing in his movements. "I was only expecting to court him. Not… all of you." 

Tetsu grinned. "We're a package deal."

"Hmm. It's rather overwhelming."

"Don't worry about it," said Tetsu, flapping a hand dismissively. "We just need to get to know you better, is all. I mean, the three of us have been together since we were kids, so you've got some catching up to do."

"This is… not reassuring."

Tetsu patted him kindly on the shoulder. "You really just need to get Kenma. Actually, you should tell him that potential stuff. He probably understands that better than I do."

Akaashi frowned down at his loom. 

"His mum is a witch, too, you know," said Tetsu, leaning back in his chair. "She has dream visions, which was why I asked. I thought maybe you were like her. Anyhow, she told us we were meant to be." After a slight pause, he asked, “Does your thing agree?”

Akaashi’s hands stopped and he looked at Tetsu. “I can’t tell. When I met Kenma, he was so guarded that I couldn’t sense anything from him.”

Tetsu shrugged. “Doesn’t matter anyway. Even if we aren’t ‘meant to be’ or destined or whatever, we’re too attached by now to change anything. Well,” he laughed, “even back then, it was the same. If his mum had told us to stay away from each other, we wouldn’t have.” He sighed fondly. “I don’t have a drop of magic in me, but I knew the second I saw him that I was done for.”

A clonk and some loud swearing came from the direction of the forge, and Tetsu grinned at Akaashi. “Sounds like Kou is going to be a while still yet. You wanna hear about how I met Kenma while we wait?”

Akaashi smiled and picked up the wooden shuttle again. “I’d like that.”

“All right, so it was when I was fifteen, and it was not quite autumn. I remember that because it was just after school started…”

***

The late afternoon sun was almost unbearable, and Tetsu tried to walk in the shadows of buildings to get as much shade as possible. It wasn’t really helping, but it gave him something to do on the way home. He didn’t mind school, except that the start of the school year prompted his parents to keep better tabs on his whereabouts. They didn’t care that they hadn’t seen him all summer, when he had practically lived at Kou’s house, but now that it was school time again, he had to be on a schedule and be home in the evenings. Presumably, this was so that they could see for their own eyes that he had gone to class and was Learning and would get a Good Apprenticeship. There was a lot of stress on these things, and he often felt that was all they cared about; that was all they talked about, anyway. When they talked to him. 

Last year hadn’t been so bad, though, because Kou could walk with him, and they could wander around and hang out until dinner time. But Kou’s older sister had gotten married and moved to her own home, so now he had to go home right after school and help with his little brothers and sisters. The Bokutos had a big family. ‘No self-control,’ said his father. ‘No shame,’ said his mother. Tetsu loved them all. He would have liked to go there with Kou after school, even if it meant wiping slobber and telling stories, but his dad had cuffed him around the ear when he asked.

He trudged along, kicking a rock ahead of him, and he was nearly home when a commotion farther down the street caught his attention. Someone had moved into the empty house? It had been empty for years, as long as Tetsu could remember. There were rumors that witches had lived in it before, and while people went to witches, certainly, there was a lot of superstition and prejudice. Especially in this neighbourhood, thought Tetsu, gloomily. There was a new sign hanging from the eaves, and there was a silhouette of an arched-back cat on it. Was it--? Were there actually witches living in this house?? Tetsu had assumed it was a story made up to scare kids, but that sure looked like a sign a witch would have.

Intrigued, he moved closer to see if he could catch a glimpse of these possible-witches. He stood near the fence, nearly hidden by the overgrown front garden, and watched the bustling activity as boxes were transported from a wagon to the house. He jumped as a window on the first floor was thrown open, shutters smacking the side of the house with the force of it. A woman leaned out, and Tetsu was shocked at how unwitchlike she looked. Her face was cheerful, with a streak of dust on one cheek, and she had a lot of dark hair piled up on her head. She was not very old, probably younger than his mum, and pretty, not at all like the elderly crone he had pictured. 

She turned and said something to someone in the house, but he was too far away to hear clearly. A moment later, the front door opened, and a boy around his own age stepped outside. He was slim and petite, wearing a simple tunic and no shoes. His hair was a golden color, and as Tetsu watched, he tucked some of it behind an ear. He was probably the prettiest person Tetsu had ever seen, and he gasped a little at the sight of him. The boy turned toward him, and Tetsu found himself looking into wide golden eyes. The boy’s face was so lovely that it took Tetsu a moment to realize that he had been seen, at which point, he did the logical thing.

He panicked.

Turning tail like a coward, he ran all the way home, shutting the door behind him and leaning on it, panting with the heat and the effort. Then he smacked himself in the forehead. That was so stupid. He must have looked like a fool! Why hadn’t he said something?? Or introduced himself? Showed that he was smooth and cool and someone that boy definitely wanted to hang around with?

Well, because he wasn’t, and he knew that. He laughed too loudly at jokes and tripped over his feet and didn’t have new clothes. His hair was untameable, and his recent growth spurt meant that his sleeves and trouser legs were awkwardly short. He was definitely not cool. He should just forget about that boy, he decided. As soon as he showed up in school, he’d have the pick of anyone he wanted, anyway, because he was that pretty. No, it was definitely asking for heartache if he let himself think about that boy any longer, so he wouldn’t do it. He told himself so quite harshly. And then he made himself study furiously for the rest of the evening, leaving no time for wandering thoughts about soft skin and pale hair. 

Except, he was still thinking about him the next day. And the next day. And the day after that. He still hadn’t shown up at school, and Tetsu was arguing with himself over whether or not the boy was actually real or just some kind of boredom-induced hallucination. He made up his mind to try and get another glimpse of him. He’d just _casually_ stroll by the witch house and see if he could spot him. And not stand there gawping like an idiot this time. Right.

After school, he quickly said goodbye to Kou and rushed towards home. When he got to his street, he slowed and tried to regulate his breathing so it didn’t look like he had been running. It didn’t even matter. No one was visible when he walked by the house. He walked past twice more, looking less and less casual, and he finally stopped and stood at the fence, staring hard at the window. There was a fluttering of a curtain, and a moment later, the boy emerged through the front door, stumbling, almost as though he had been shoved. 

Tetsu stared at him, and the boy stared back. He was barefoot again, and he wore a dark red shirt that made his pale skin look like porcelain. Actually, that was a good comparison. The boy was small and fragile-looking, like he would shatter to a million pieces if he was dropped or handled too roughly. Tetsu liked him. He wanted to talk to him, but he didn’t want to scare him or something. From where he was, behind the fence, he managed a small smile, trying to seem friendly. 

The boy’s eyes widened, and he dropped his head to stare at the ground, his hair falling forward and hiding his face a bit. His bare toes dug into the dirt of the front path. 

Hmm. This was going nowhere fast. 

“What’s your name?” called Tetsu, trying to be loud enough to be heard but not _too_ loud.

The boy jumped anyway. He peeked up at Tetsu and then mumbled something.

“What? I can’t hear,” said Tetsu, leaning eagerly over the fence. He really wanted to know the boy’s name. Somehow that would make him more real.

The boy backed away, pressing himself against the front door. With his hand on the latch, he seemed to take a deep breath before looking back at Tetsu. “Kenma,” he said clearly. And then he disappeared back into the house.

Kenma. _Kenma_.

Tetsu let go of the fence, somewhat stunned at his own boldness. He had talked to him. He had gotten his name. Kenma.

There was a smile on his face as he walked home. 

_Kenma_.

***

"Kou! His name is Kenma. He's real, and I talked to him, and his name is Kenma!"

"Who?" asked Koutarou, his head tilted to the side. He was the same age as Tetsu, but he was far more filled out. Tetsu was lanky and lean, but Kou was solid. His hair was slightly less wild, but it had been graying since he was nine or ten, and his voice still squeaked when he got excited, which was often.

"That boy!" hissed Tetsu. They were not supposed to be talking in class, but he couldn't hold in his new information until the end of the day. "That witch boy who moved in!"

"Oh!" He looked a lot more interested. "You talked to him?"

"Well, a little bit," admitted Tetsu. "He's very quiet, but God, Kou, he's so pretty…"

"Are you gonna ask him to court?"

"Kou! I can't ask him yet! I might scare him off. I gotta… um…" He screwed up his face in serious thought. "What do I do to make him like me and want to court me?"

Kou shrugged. "A girl gave me flowers once. Oh, and my sister got love notes from her husband! So like… give him presents? I dunno." 

Hmmm. Tetsu didn't get a chance to question Kou further because they were reprimanded for talking and instructed to get back to work.

***

Before leaving school, Tetsu carefully wrote a simple note on a scrap of paper. He wrote:  
_Kenma, I'm glad you moved here. My name is Tetsurou._

Folding the note, he walked home, thinking hard about what kind of gift he could possibly give to Kenma. He didn't have any money, and he wasn't too skilled in making anything. He didn’t have anything when he came to Kenma’s house, so he kept walking, hoping an idea would come to him. When he reached the overgrown areas at the edge of town, he remembered: flowers. Kou had mentioned flowers were a good gift, and there were lots of wildflowers growing out here. No one took care of this land; it was just there for future expansion of the town and building new houses. But for now, it was all long grass and weeds and a variety of plantlife. 

Wading in, he examined his options and picked some pretty little yellow ones and some spriggy white ones and some that he was pretty sure were daisies. Tetsu carefully put them together in a little bouquet and tied it with a blade of the long grass. Then he ran back to Kenma’s house. 

Now he had a purpose, and he boldly walked in through the front gate and knocked on the door. The curtain in the window twitched a little, and after a moment, Kenma opened the door. 

“Hello,” he mumbled, peeking up at Tetsu through his hair.

At first, Tetsu just stared. He hadn’t seen Kenma up this close before, and his mind was short-circuiting, taking in the scattered little freckles, the light eyelashes, the pretty pink of his cheeks… “Um,” he said, realizing that Kenma was shifting nervously, and that he should say something instead of just gawping. “I brought you these!” He abruptly thrust the flowers at Kenma, who jumped at the sudden movement. “Oh, and this.” Tetsu also held out the folded scrap of paper with his note on it. 

Kenma slowly took them. “Thank you,” he said, softly. He looked up at Tetsu, waiting to see if there was anything else he wanted, but Tetsu was staring again.

“God, you’re pretty,” he blurted. 

“Oh,” said Kenma, blushing hard. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Tetsu repeated, blinking at him. He was blanking on anything else to say, and he felt like if he didn’t get out of Kenma’s presence soon, he might spontaneously combust. “Okay! Bye!” He lurched back down the path and out through the gate, turning to see Kenma still standing in the doorway, watching him. He waved. And then walked quickly out of sight.

***

He continued in this manner, bringing Kenma little notes or presents. At first, it was a couple of times a week, but then it was every day. He brought more flowers, mint leaves, a heart shaped stone he’d found, and other trinkets he could trade for by doing odd jobs. As the weather cooled, he and Kou went out to the forest one day and brought back a bunch of apples from the trees that grew wild there. He left about half a dozen on Kenma’s front step, and the next day, he was greeted by Kenma and given an apple hand pie. Sometimes he saw Kenma, and other days, he just left his gifts or notes by the door. 

After a couple weeks of this, though, he started to find Kenma waiting for him, sitting on the front step or standing at the gate. They talked some more, gradually pushing through the awkwardness towards something more comfortable. Tetsu learned that Kenma had gone to school in his previous town, but he hadn’t liked it, and his mum had said he didn’t have to go here. He was very shy and had trouble making friends, but as he got used to Tetsu’s presence, he began opening up more. He laughed at Tetsu’s jokes, and every time he did, Tetsu felt like he was going to fall over dead from the way his chest ached. He discovered that Kenma’s mum was a witch and that Kenma was training to become one himself. What this entailed, he wasn’t very sure, but he felt that Kenma must be good at it. 

He talked sometimes about what he was studying in school, or told stories about adventures he and Kou had had, exaggerating his own heroism, because he liked the way Kenma looked at him with his sharp, bright eyes, and said, ‘Really.’ Kenma was not easily impressed and didn’t buy Tetsu’s boasting, and Tetsu liked him even more for this. 

It didn’t take him long to be able to read Tetsu’s emotions. One day, it had not been a good day at school, and Tetsu had stayed over to talk to someone about what kind of apprenticeship he wanted and his options and all the hard work he’d have to do to overcome his lower class status. He hadn't had time to find Kenma a present, but… he still wanted to see him, and he also didn't want to just not show up. Kenma would be expecting him. He slowly made his way to the witches' house. 

As expected, Kenma was waiting for him, looking a little worried by his lateness. "Hi," said Tetsu heavily. He leaned over the top of the fence. "Sorry. I didn't bring you anything today."

Kenma looked up at him, bright eyes scanning his face for a moment. "Yes, you did." He picked up Tetsu's hand and laced their fingers together. And then he ducked his head to try to hide his blush, leaning on the fence to rest his forehead against Tetsu's shoulder. "It's my favourite," he mumbled.

Tetsu squeezed his hand, suddenly feeling a lot lighter. Nothing had changed about his future, but he thought that if he had Kenma, it would make anything bearable. 

***

By the time autumn had really taken hold and cold weather was settling over the area, Tetsu and Kenma were definitely friends. But he had yet to broach the subject of official courting. Well, there were the gifts, and there was the hand holding (which had become a common occurance), but they didn’t talk about it. Sometimes Tetsu felt like Kenma was waiting for him to say something, looking at him expectantly, but Tetsu always lost his nerve. While Kenma seemed a lot less fragile and delicate now that they knew each other better, he was still afraid of pushing him and maybe ruining their friendship. And he was happy with their friendship, really. He just… couldn’t help but watch Kenma’s lips sometimes.

Kenma got cold easily, and Tetsu found him bundled up in a bright red coat, the hood hiding his pale hair. He had finally conceded to the changing season and stopped wandering around barefoot, but he still shuffled his booted feet restlessly as he waited at the gate for Tetsu. It _was_ rather chilly on this particular afternoon; the wind cut through Tetsu’s thin jacket, and he rubbed some warmth back into his arms as he walked along. 

He was surprised to see Kenma opening the gate. Aside from the time he had knocked on the door, they mostly conversed over the fence. But Kenma was grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the house. “Come on,” he encouraged over his shoulder. “It’s too cold out here.”

Kenma’s house was bright and cheery, and Tetsu immediately liked it. It didn’t look anything like how he’d pictured a witch’s house, but somehow it seemed like the perfect place for Kenma to live. He was led into the sitting room at the side of the house; the big windows caught the weak sunlight and were lined with potted plants. Kenma gently pushed him towards a worn settee, and he sank onto it, finding it plush and comfortable. 

“I’ll be right back,” said Kenma, and then he vanished somewhere into the rest of the house. 

Tetsu tried to sit properly and not let himself lounge back against the cushions, but he was, by nature, a lounger, so it was a losing battle. Movement from the other side of the room caught his attention, and he found that he was being watched by a very large, very fluffy grey cat who was curled up in an armchair, its tail flicking back and forth as it studied him. Tetsu held his hand down near the floor but made no move to approach it. He could hear voices in faint discussion in another room, but he couldn’t make out what was being said. 

By the time Kenma came back, the grey cat had flopped onto Tetsu’s feet and was getting its ears scritched. “Mum’s going to make some tea,” said Kenma, a little breathlessly.

Tetsu looked up at him. Kenma had removed the coat and the boots, but he still looked somewhat flushed. He tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and shuffled closer in his thick socks. “He likes you,” said Kenma, reaching down to pet the cat. He perched himself on the edge of the settee and looked sideways at Tetsu, keeping his face tilted down. “I like you, too,” he mumbled. 

Grinning at him, Tetsu asked, “Do you want me to scratch behind your ears?”

Kenma reached out and pinched his leg, scoffing. “No.” He scooted a little closer. “Um.” 

He looked very nervous, and Tetsu wanted to pull him close and hold him. He sat on his hands in case the impulse got any stronger. 

“Is there… um, is there maybe anything you wanted to ask me?” asked Kenma, looking up at him and tucking his hair back again. 

Tetsu’s mind was a blank, and his eyes were following Kenma’s fingers and the shiny blond hair that looked so soft and sleek… “What?” he asked, trying to focus. “Oh, um.” Yes, actually. He’d never been to a witch before and had an idea that they were mostly for healing, but they probably did other things. “Yeah, how do you get your hair to look so nice? Like is it a potion or something? ‘Cuz I just can’t do anything with mine…”

Kenma stared at him. “What?” He looked at Tetsu’s hair and then back at his face. “_What?_ No. I mean, maybe. I can look into it, but… that wasn’t what I meant.” He pressed his lips together in determination and shifted even closer. “Try again.”

Tetsu was finding it difficult to think under Kenma’s piercing gaze, and his eyebrows drew together in concentration. “What do--?” he ventured.

“No,” interrupted Kenma, pulling his knees up underneath him and turning so he could look at Tetsu full on. 

“Can you--?”

“No.”

“Um, can _I_...?” he hazarded. 

Kenma leaned closer and gestured for him to keep going.

They were very close now, and while Tetsu had been this close to Kenma before, it felt different this time. Kenma wasn’t hiding from him now, his eyes searching Tetsu’s face, waiting for his next words. “Can I kiss you?” he asked. 

Kenma’s gaze dropped to Tetsu’s mouth, but he smiled softly and said, “Not yet. Ask me something else.”

Yet? So he wanted Tetsu to kiss him at some point, which must mean… “Can I court you?” Tetsu blurted.

Kenma nodded. “Yes.” And then he threw himself into Tetsu’s arms, half sitting in his lap, and pressed his face into his neck.

Smiling against that soft blond hair, Tetsu wrapped his arms around Kenma and hugged him tightly. He felt so right in Tetsu’s arms, like he belonged there, and Tetsu couldn’t help the hysterical happiness bubbling up inside of him. He began to giggle. 

“Tetsuuuu,” complained Kenma, pinching him again. “I’ve been waiting _forever_ for you to ask me.”

“I wasn’t sure you wanted me to!”

Kenma pulled back slightly, still sitting on Tetsu’s legs, his hands resting on Tetsu’s shoulders. “I did. I would have said yes if you had asked me the first time we talked.”

Thinking back, Tetsu remembered the skittish, blushing boy who escaped into the house as soon as he could. “The first time? Really?” 

“Okay, maybe not the first time,” conceded Kenma, clearly remembering the same thing. “But a long time ago. You never brought it up! I tried to be patient, because my mum told me you’d ask, but I got tired of waiting.” His fingers brushed gently against the dark hair curling under Tetsu’s ears. 

“I’m glad you did,” said Tetsu, smiling and leaning into his touch. “Now can I kiss you?” 

A faint pink blush spread across Kenma’s cheeks, but he nodded. 

Tetsu reached up and cupped his jaw, guiding his face closer so that he could bring their lips together. He was surprised about how calm he felt; all that kissing practice with Kou was paying off. The kiss was soft and fairly chaste, and as they parted, Kenma rested his forehead against Tetsu’s. 

“That was nice,” he whispered. “More.”

Laughing softly, Tetsu obliged and kissed him more. 

They were interrupted by Kenma’s mother. “Ooh Kenma,” she cooed, setting a tea tray down on a side table. “He asked you?” 

Tetsu’s face was bright red. He had seen Kenma’s mum about, but he hadn’t ever been properly introduced, and here he was, in her house, fondling her son.

Kenma didn’t seem that upset about the somewhat compromising position, and he smiled happily at his mother. “He did.”

Her gaze sharpened a little, and the resemblence between mother and son was striking. “Before or after you were kissing him?” she asked.

Sighing, Kenma rolled his eyes and climbed off Tetsu. “Before.” He pulled Tetsu up off the settee and presented him to his mother. “Mum, this is Tetsu. This is my mum.” 

“So nice to meet you finally,” she said, squeezing Tetsu’s outstretched hand. “I’ve seen quite a lot of you with my little Kenma.” 

“Er…” said Tetsu, kind of blindsided by her outgoing personality. 

“Muuuuum,” grumbled Kenma. 

“See, I told you, didn’t I? Maybe you’ll learn to trust me, hmm? I’m sure you’ll meet the other one soon, too.” 

“What?” asked Tetsu. He felt like he was missing something.

“Mum!” exclaimed Kenma, giving her a dark look. 

“Okay, okay,” she said. She let Kenma push her out of the room, but then she popped her head back in to ask, “Would you like to stay to dinner, Tetsu?”

“Oh, er, yes, I’d like that,” he replied, still kind of bewildered. “What was she talking about?” he asked Kenma, after she’d left again. 

“I’ll tell you later,” he said, pressing close and wrapping his arms around Tetsu’s neck. “Now, kiss me some more.”

And Tetsu was never one to deny Kenma anything, so he did.

***

“... and so I lied and told my parents that I had stayed at Kou’s house for dinner. I did that a lot while I was sneaking around with Kenma, and when the truth came out, there was trouble, of course, but…” He made a vague gesture in the air, sort of waving away the past troubles. “It all worked out in the end. Though, I guess it’s not the end yet,” he added, grinning at Akaashi.

“I found out a couple weeks later about the dreams. When she said she’d seen me around with Kenma, she was talking about future me, and then, of course, the other one she mentioned was Kou.” He laughed and looked up at the ceiling, a fond expression on his face. “I don’t even know how we worked that all out. We were all so confused. But we did. And you can, too,” he told Akaashi kindly. 

“But his mother didn’t see me,” Akaashi pointed out, lying his weaving shuttle down on the loom. “If her prophetic dreams are accurate like that, it doesn’t bode well for me.”

“She told me once that witches are hard to predict, especially if you weren’t close to them, and I don’t think she’s ever met you.” Tetsu had been leaning his chair back on two legs while he told the story, and now he came crashing back down to the floor. “Don’t give up on Kenma, Akaashi,” he said, seriously. “I think you could be good for us.”

With flushed cheeks, Akaashi looked down at his loom. “So you’re saying my best bet is to give him gifts and then play hard to get?”

Startled at the succinct proposition, Tetsu burst out laughing. “Exactly.” He winked. “His favorite color is red, and he loves anything that will keep him cozy in cold weather.”

Akaashi smiled back and opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the door to the forge slammed open and Koutarou appeared. 

“Hey, hey, hey, Tetsu!” he exclaimed, rushing the other man and embracing him so tightly that Tetsu’s feet left the ground. “What are you doing here?!”

“Oh God, Kou, not so tight!” he protested, laughing. “I came for some supplies, and I wanted to see you.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry, I got caught up in this big project,” said Koutarou, returning Tetsu to the floor but not breaking their embrace. “You’ve been hanging out with Keiji, though?” he asked, looking between them. 

“Yes, he’s been telling me about when the three of you were younger,” replied Akaashi. His smile was much more fond and full when he was looking at the excitable, soot-covered man. 

“The three of us?” repeated Kou, looking around. “Is Kenma here??”

“No, Kou,” said Tetsu gently. 

“Oh.” Koutarou’s entire body drooped a little in his disappointment. 

“I’ll make sure he comes next time,” promised Tetsu.

“Okay,” said Kou, leaning against him. “You’ll tell him I love him?” he asked softly. 

Tetsu kissed his forehead. “He knows, Kou. But I’ll tell him.” He squeezed Kou a little and then stepped back. He smoothly changed the subject in an attempt to distract Kou. "I brought you some cider we made, and I was _thinking_ we could go to that tavern you like for dinner. And Akaashi, too, if he wants," he added, nodding at the other man. 

Akaashi seemed to be on board with this cheer up Koutarou plan. "Actually, I was hoping to hear more about this kissing practice you two used to have."

"Oh?" asked Tetsu, with a smirk. "How about a demonstration?" He grabbed Kou and dipped him backwards, kissing him deeply. 

"Damn, Tetsu," he said, when they came back up for air. "Buy me dinner first or something!"

Tetsu laughed. "Come on, Akaashi," he said, beckoning the other man to join them. "Let's get something to eat."


End file.
